Malta

parliamentary democracyIndependence 21 September 1964 (from UK)

Malta as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 65 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalValletta

Area320 km2

Populationas each edition published it

356,427 people July 1991 · 353,465 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.84% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 37.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 76.52 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2 children per woman 1991 · 2 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 8 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $7,600 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 5.9% in 1993

Geography

10 fields

Total area

320km2

land area: 320 km2Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

140 km Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 25 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

Mediterranean with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

Terrain

mostly low, rocky, flat to dissected plains; many coastal cliffs

Land use

arable land 38%;
permanent crops 3%;
meadows and pastures 0%;
forest and woodland 0%;
other 59%;
includes irrigated 3%

Environment

numerous bays provide good harbors; fresh water very scarce--increasing reliance on desalination

Note

strategic location in central Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily, 290 km north of Libya

People

14 fields

Population

356,427

(July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

15Death

8Net migration

Literacy

84%

(male 86%, female 82%) age 15 and over can read and write (1985)

Nationality

noun--Maltese (sing. and pl.); adjective--Maltese

Ethnic divisions

mixture of Arab, Sicilian, Norman, Spanish, Italian, English

Labor force

126,135; government (excluding job corps) 37%, services 26%, manufacturing 22%, training programs 9%, construction 4%, agriculture 2% (1989)

Government

Parliamentary democracy

16 fields

House of Representatives, elected 9 May 1987percent of vote

NP 51.1%MLP 48.9%

Administrative divisions

none (administration directly from Valletta)

Legal system

based on English common law and Roman civil law; has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch

president, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal Chief of State--President Vincent (Censu) TABONE (since 4 April 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Dr. Edward (Eddie) FENECH ADAMI (since 12 May 1987);
Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Guido DE MARCO (since 14 May 1987) Nationalist Party, Edward FENECH ADAMI;
Malta Labor Party, Karmenu MIFSUD BONNICI

Suffrage

universal at age 18 House of Representatives--last held on 9 May 1987 (next to be held by May 1992);
results--NP 51.1%, MLP 48.9%;
seats--(usually 65 total, but additional seats are given to the party with the largest popular vote to ensure a legislative majority; current total 69) MLP 34, NP 31 before popular vote adjustment;
MLP 34, NP 35 after adjustment

Member of

C, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Salvatore J. STELLINI;
Chancery at 2017 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 462-3611 or 3612;
there is a Maltese Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Sally J. NOVETZKE;
Embassy at 2nd Floor, Development House, Saint Anne Street, Floriana, Valletta (mailing address is P. O. Box 535, Valletta);
telephone [356] 240424, 240425, 243216, 243217, 243653, 223654

Flag

two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross, edged in red

Economy

Significant resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and a productive labor force.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.9billion

per capita $5,500 (1988); real growth rate 6.4% (1989)

Inflation, consumer prices

0.9%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

3.7%

(1989)

External debt

$90million

medium and long-term (December 1987)

Budget

Revenues

$1,020 millionExpenditures

$1,230 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $380 million (1990 est.)

Significant resources are limestone, a favorable geographic location, and a productive labor force. Malta produces only about 20% of its food needs, has limited freshwater supplies, and has no domestic energy sources. Consequently, the economy is highly dependent on foreign trade and services.

Manufacturing and tourism are the largest contributors to the economy. Manufacturing accounts for about 27% of GDP, with the electronics and textile industries major contributors. In 1989 inflation was held to a low 0.9%. Per capita GDP at $5,500 places Malta in the middle-income range of the world's nations.

Exports

$866 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--clothing, textiles, footwear, ships;
partners--Italy 30%, FRG 22%, UK 11%

Imports

$1,328 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--food, petroleum, machinery and semimanufactured goods;
partners--Italy 30%, UK 16%, FRG 13%, US 4%

Industrial production

growth rate 19.2% (1989); accounts for 27% of GDP

Electricity

328,000 kW capacity; 1,110 million kWh produced, 2,990 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

tourism, electronics, ship repair yard, construction, food manufacturing, textiles, footwear, clothing, beverages, tobacco

Agriculture

accounts for 3% of GDP;
overall, 20% self-sufficient;
main products--potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, cut flowers, green peppers, hogs, poultry, eggs;
generally adequate supplies of vegetables, poultry, milk, pork products;
seasonal or periodic shortages in grain, animal fodder, fruits, other basic foodstuffs

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $172 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $333 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $76 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $48 million

Currency

Maltese lira (plural--liri); 1 Maltese lira (LM) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Maltese liri (LM) per US$1--0.3004 (January 1991), 0.3172 (1990), 0.3483 (1989), 0.3306 (1988), 0.3451 (1987), 0.3924 (1986), 0.4676 (1985)

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

Communications

6 fields

415 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,005,791 GRT/8,644,369 DWT;
includes 3 passenger, 8 short-sea passenger, 160 cargo, 5 container, 2 passenger-cargo, 13 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 vehicle carrier, 1 barge carrier, 6 refrigerated cargo, 9 chemical tanker, 8 combination ore/oil, 2 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 79 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 104 bulk, 11 combination bulk;
note--a flag of convenience registry;
China owns 1 ship, USSR owns 7, Cuba owns 7, and Vietnam owns 1